2009 Form Challenges

#4 Stave Stanza

A variation of just using couplets as a means of constructing a sestet is the Stave Stanza where the last couplets rhyme and the last
line is a Refrain for all the subsequent stanzas. For a three stanza the rhyme sceme would be: a. a. b. b. c. C.... d. d. e. e. c. C.
... f. f. g. g. c. C.
Here is an example by Leny Roovers

Joy

Clear joy flows freely through my veins,
a river of champagne that reigns
and tickles in my mouth and nose;
it won’t be long, then we’ll be close!
Bubbles of happiness I feel,no longer dreamt of, but now real.

My step is light, my smile is warm,
today I weather any storm,
no hail or thunder frightens me,
because your sun is all I see;
its soothing touch I’ll always feel,no longer dreamt of, but now real.

Each night I ask the stars and moon
to take my kisses to you soon;
when they return next starlit night,
they give to me their peaceful light.
It is your love that I then feel,no longer dreamt of, but now real.

Beloved You must see by now
That without You I'd not know how
To run this race, stay in the game
To keep alive the blaze, the flame
That burns within the core of me
That yearns for Your love constantly.

Beloved You know everything,
You're watching when I weep or sing,
You're at my side when I am strong,
You raise me up when things go wrong;
Small wonder then this need in me
That yearns for Your love constantly.

Beloved though at times I strain
Against these ties, this loving chain,
And like a lost lamb I might stray,
Near You is where I want to stay;
There's something deep inside of me
That yearns for Your love constantly.

-----

What the Hell

A Stave Stanza's my goal tonight
I hope that it comes out alright
I'll try it once, or even twice
Will listen to and heed advice
But if it does not turn out well
I simply say "Oh what the hell!"

Sometimes life throws a sharp curve ball
And if I don't duck fast, I fall
Can bruise a heart,a knee, an arm
But once there is not too much harm
Done, on days when I don't feel well
I simply say "Oh what the hell!"

'One day at a time,'says the song,
Some days I'm weak, some days I'm strong,
Sometimes my muse is beside me
And I can churn out poetry
But on days when he says 'farewell'
I simply say "Oh what the hell!"

Deep in a thicket of woodland copse
shelters a tired, frightened,young fox,
the wailing sound, of the hunters horn
their howling hounds, close in upon.
riders shout, as they call `Talley ho`
and the cold March winds, doth blow.

High in the tree`s in a forest glade
pigeons flutter their wings, afraid
huntsmen aim their rifles high,
shooting them down, from the sky
such a cruel way for them to go,
and the cold March winds, doth blow.

It`s an inborn must,if truth be told
man the provider, the hunter of olde
even though today there is no need,
for today, it`s now just a sport indeed,
it`s in his blood, the arrow and bow,
and the cold March winds, doth blow.

-----

Saint Patricks Day Jiggin

Lets all jig for Saint Patricks day
maybe a guinness, so what do you say
wear a shamrock, the fiddle will play,
lets drink to the great olde Irish way,
we`ll have us a grand olde time today
singing Toora Loora, Loora Lay.

Now Peg O`hara, she`ll be there
and Tom Flaherty, he with the red hair,
Maureen O ` Riley may not be there,
she`s drunk and snorin,` under the stairs,
we`ll have us a grand olde time today,
singing Toora, Loora, Loora Lay.

Saint Patricks day`s full of good cheer
it comes round, only one day, a year
got to drink a years, share of beer,
hooray!! this blessed day is here.
we`ll have us a grand olde time today,
singing Toora, Loora, Loora Lay.

Paddy O `Sullivans drunk as a coot.
got his Shilalie caught up in his boot,
Leprechaun Sean dont care a hoot,
couldn`t reach, and wet on his foot.
the luck of the Irish be with us today,
singing Toora,Loora. Loora Lay.

See my garden, share it with me
Come sit, and sip a cup of tea
Relax, no one will bother us
Or try to make some kind of fuss
Life is simple and perfect here
And the everyday beauty dear

In peace and quiet hear the sounds
That have been lost, drowned out not found
Listen to the babbling brook
Close your eyes shut, no need to look
Life is simple and perfect here
And the everyday beauty dear

Butterflies dance among flowers
Then seek shelter there from showers
In early morning when I rise
Birds are nursing their babies cries
Life is simple and perfect here
And the everyday beauty dear

She is the queen of starlit nights,
her beauty beyond mortal sights,
one kiss, she will possess my soul,
and dreams of desire she'll conjole,
in merry dance she leads the way,
my queen, and lady of the May.

She took my hand and stole my heart,
of this world I'm no longer part,
when blessed lady touched my lip,
the ways of old released their grip,
caught in illusions of freesia spray,
my queen, and lady of the May.

Have you seen the bush by moonlight
Seen the Sun kiss the Earth goodnight
Covering her with a sleepy goldness
Preparing for a time of darkness
Then heard the parrot's raucous din
At the end of day as they settle in?

See the red rock in the middle at sunrise
Then the contrast 'gainst white blue skies
The richest greens of the northern jungle
And the burnt out trees round Warrnambool
You won't hear the parrot's raucous din
At the end of day as they settle in?

Evermore you'll love the bushland
White sand beaches and red heartland
Come the rains that are long prayed for
Then see Victoria come alive once more
Once again hear the parrot's raucous din
At the end of day as they settle in?

-----

Dancing To Loves Tune

Dancing to loves tune, spin and turn
The fever of love causes you to burn
Inside your heart skips and pounds
Your eternal love forever resounds
Be it cloudy sun or brightest moon
We all win dancing to loves tune.

Each night to loves dancing we return
Souls locked in a heavenly sojourn
Earthly bodies lie on silken grounds
In a ballroom fit for loving rounds
There is no contest, no points to earn
We all win dancing to loves tune.

-----

Days Will Come

The days will come the days will go
The years will pass not fast nor slow
The hands of time move on and on
Counting weeks as they pass anon
Count not my love it is always whole
For true love stays ever in the soul

The days will come the days will go
And in due time our love will grow
Eternity's silver torch has outshone
The hands of time that moved on
They will no longer be in control
For true love stays ever in the soul

The days will come the days will go
Suns have died and there's only snow
At the end of time when all is gone
Our souls will smile having lived on
And warm summers eve taking a stroll
For true love stays ever in the soul.

-----

Kawasaki

Too long apart to short a time as one
No sooner do we meet leaving is begun
Now I leave behind my heart for awhile
Only when we meet again I will smile
We can communicate by state of art
But can that replace an empty heart.

No matter how well I plan these things
Fate somehow plants her annoying rings
Distractions that will cause separation
To carry on to long, causing indignation
This is where our patience must kick-start
But can that replace an empty heart.

-----

Memory Lane

Believing things would be as they used to be
Taking a trip down memory lane I met reality.
For time had passed and nothing stays the same
Then I realised it was another of life's games.
We only remember what we do and see
There are no website updates to a memory.

And now I never go to a place to reminisce
Because I'm bound to say it wasn't like this
That road was not there, where are the trees
What are these houses, and what are all these?
This pub is new and chrome, there's no vitality
There are no website updates to a memory.

My hometown, so much altered so much gone
No more mills or houses, there is only lawn.
The church and schools where I used to go
Have now been hit by a developers blow
Things in my mind are stetted you will agree
There are no website updates to a memory.

-----

Only In Death

Only in death is a body perfect
No more wrinkles do we detect?
No more corruption of the flesh
With the sod my corpse will mesh
No need of mirrors to inspect
Only in death is a body perfect.

No more corruption of the flesh
The tomb has become my crèche
My body now shall live forever
Sod and body will blend together
Now clime and time have no effect
Only in death is a body perfect.

My body now shall live forever
Joined with sod in Deistic fervour
Time on Earth is the Earths time
No need to watch a solar climb.
No change of mood will affect
Only in death is a body perfect.

-----

Paddy's Luck

Being part Irish I believe in luck
St Patrick is number one in my book
I am a Virgo and therefore I must plan
And have done so since I first began
The world is so much different now
I make my luck by my sweaty brow.

St Patrick when he kicked out snakes
Showed everyone just what it takes.
Then took the Emerald Isle by storm
And Christianity became the norm.
He only took what the druids allow
Making their luck by their sweaty brow.

As Erin's lore rises more each day
Homage to emigrants we must pay
Who left her shores in body only.
Eire sent her sons to places lonely
But eternal love to her, their vow
And their luck by their sweaty brow.

Now St Paddy's day nears again
I cannot ever remember when
Guinness glasses were not the way
And Slainte the toast of the day.
Slainte chugat I wish you now
Adh mór ort and your sweaty brow.

-----

Questions Lunar

The moon no longer rises full in the sky
Instead each night we will see her slowly die
With dignity that comes from being a queen
All the waxing and waning's there has been.
What love in her life has she encountered,
I wonder how much love she has spread?

For a little while she sleeps needing a rest
Emptying all of the sadness from her breast
Then we see her, feel her take shape again
And see her Queenly rightful place attain
Leading we see what she has surmounted
I wonder how much love she has spread.

Then we see her in full in all her glory
A shining example to you and to me,
Lovers attest their love at every full moon
And at this time everything ends too soon
But wiser ones look to when they're wed
I wonder how much love she has spread..

-----

Yesterday

Was it only yesterday we met,
Or perhaps was it parted yet?
I have known you so long
I hate to sing this farewell song.
Meaning that when we part
You leave me with a broken heart.

The music playing is our special song
We've played and played it so long
And joked about my incorrect verse
I ask you now what could be worse?
A salted wound would only smart
You leave me with a broken heart.

Here am I, crying... crying...
So why do I bother sighing,
Like the whippoorwill flying high above,
Nobody sees him nor barely knows his love
Call, the call of an empty hearted bird,
People walking by, thinking the absurd.

There are you, asking... asking...
So why don't you stop wondering,
Like the Meerkat peering round about
Always watching for dangers to shout
Out, then dive into the sand with the rest of the herd,
People walking past, thinking the absurd.

Here we are, trying... trying...
So why do we bother at all
Like all the other animals running amok,
Nobody cares for whales or ducks
Lives, they live in closed bubbles, never heard
People walking past, thinking the absurd.

-----

Lucky Green

Pure green is a passionate Spring
Where lakes and threes rehearse to sing
How lucky it is life comes back,
For of death there is never any lack,
But then sun returns to prove life's chance
So now feet and soul must ever dance!

From unripe fruit to clover filled fields
The most plentiful color is life's herald,
Joyous first sign indicating victory
When cold sorrows end in hopeful zoochory,
As birds and animals do thus enhance,
so now feet and souls must ever dance!

Circles of greening seasons spin round
Drab cycles in echoed winds sound
Through merry leaf of shadowed shapes
Moments pass that we cannot escape
Over time, till death parries it's lance,
So now feet and souls must ever dance!